 Topic for the next Fiction Contest, What do you want to read about? |
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  Feb 12 2006, 03:25 PM
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#1
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Free Spirit  Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 3,944 Joined: 26-February 02 From: Bloomington, IN UCAS Member No.: 1,920  |
I got some suggestions that people would rather write on a given topic than write what ever they please - go figure. So I am taking suggestions for the topic of the next Fiction Contest. (Settling on a deadline would be good, too.)
1 I have always thought Ghostwalker taking over Denver a bit silly. Write a story where it makes sense. 2 Where were you on the Night of Rage? 3 A story concerning things Shadowrunners do to make huge amounts of money that is not really shadowrunning. Show the pitfalls. Or have the runners raid such a place to show the pitfalls from another POV. This could help all those GMs that say, "Help, my group is doing this and out of control." It would be nice if they had some good stories to have their players read pointing out it is not as easy as they thought it might be. Possible schemes: Enchanting/making orichalcum/radicals, auto theft, stock market, organlegging/out of control looting. I think these have all come up in the last month and I'm sure there are more. 4 Rigger's Run Wild! I have seen a lot of fiction from about all the other types of characters POV, but not too much about the wily rigger. (The little I have seen, seemed to be from frustrated Nascar wannabees.) Show how to implement a variety of drones and why some say the rigger is the most powerful character type in the game. There's some suggestions to get things started. Say which you would like to write about. Seperately, tell which you would like to read. It won't be much of a contest if everyone wants to read about something that no one has any inspiration to write about. By all means, suggest your own topics. Topics chosen so far and deadlines. |
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Feb 12 2006, 03:38 PM
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#2
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 751 Joined: 7-June 02 From: Hamilton.LTG.on.ca Member No.: 2,853 |
I've always liked the use of Yak/Mob what ever and how they interact with runners.
I havent read much of the novels so maybe the thought is already out there and i just don't know yet. |
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Feb 12 2006, 04:07 PM
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#3
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Canon Companion Group: Members Posts: 8,021 Joined: 2-March 03 From: The Morgue, Singapore LTG Member No.: 4,187 |
The classic "typical" datasteal run from start to end. Heck, pick one of the SRMs as the topic. That way we all know what is being written(at least the people who played the mission would). What I would really like to see is a gaming session in story form(like what we read about in the IC section of the gaming subforums but more organised and streamlined).
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Feb 12 2006, 04:54 PM
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#4
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Running, running, running Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 2,220 Joined: 18-October 04 From: North Carolina Member No.: 6,769 |
I was thinking, if i submit, i would like to do something in regards to an initiation, wether magical or mundane (gangs or groups that you have to do X for before they'll let you in)
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Feb 12 2006, 10:11 PM
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#5
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Shadowrun Setting Nerd Group: Banned Posts: 3,632 Joined: 28-June 05 From: Pissing on pedestrians from my electronic ivory tower. Member No.: 7,473 |
Initiation sounds cool. A whole run could be interesting, but just thinking of ripping off the pages from a typical one on Shadowland, might end up having to be heavily edited to count as a "short" story. Tisoz has been critiquing a recent piece I wrote on a specific night in the life of a Johnson which is part of a much, much larger collection (and it's how I got to thinking about how much Mr. J is like a CIA case officer for that PDF I wrote last summer). I could dig that since her life isn't exactly, you know, boring. As for Tisoz's ideas specifically:
If E could barely do it in YotC I don't have much regard for the likelihood of it happening here. Something more along the lines of being a bystander to a shitstorm (GW, Night of Rage, etc.) seems more in line with the context, but then there is the matter of there being a whole ton of events in which one could pick as the setting.
See above.
Sounds interesting, especially for deckers since I see a considerable amount of opportunities for them here.
That is a cool idea unless it ends up reading like Redeye Flight, which is a mental abortion of a story. I would be severely distracted by people writing immersed rigging scenes that are as bad as Szeto's crap. |
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Feb 12 2006, 10:27 PM
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#6
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ghostrider Group: Retired Admins Posts: 4,196 Joined: 16-May 04 Member No.: 6,333 |
I'd like to see stories from a fixer's point of view, actually. That'd rock.
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Feb 13 2006, 08:13 AM
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#7
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Project Terminus: Soul Hunters Group: Members Posts: 1,052 Joined: 6-November 03 From: Casselberry, Florida U.S.A. Member No.: 5,798 |
While it would need to be long how about a story of an immortal elf with no ties to any nation or race.
Kinda like he/she is on the outs with everyone very little power base if any at all as it seems most of the ie's have tons of contacts , money , and what not at their disposal. Make the character a loner and show who , what , and why he/she does what they do to live and survive in the 6th world. |
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Feb 13 2006, 08:36 AM
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#8
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ghostrider Group: Retired Admins Posts: 4,196 Joined: 16-May 04 Member No.: 6,333 |
IE's. :silly: <<we need a barfy smiley>>
;) |
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Feb 13 2006, 08:49 AM
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#9
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 934 Joined: 26-August 05 From: Earth - Europe - AGS - Norddeutscher Bund - Hannover Member No.: 7,624 |
Use any topic, but please no stories about IEs, dragons, dikoted ally spirits or Quicksilver.
However, a story about Drop Bears would be great! ;) I really like the "Night of Rage" theme. |
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Feb 13 2006, 10:16 AM
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#10
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Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,088 Joined: 8-October 04 From: Dallas, TX Member No.: 6,734 |
I second the Drop Bear nomination - just to see how kooky authors will get.
Other ideas: Pick a small corp, trying to claw it's way past to the top. Megacorps are trying to eat it, steal their secrets or drive them out of business. Stories of how it survives - perhaps employing shadowrunners out of self-defense, or going on offensive maneuvers against one of the big boys...I suppose that always interested me. And the stories definately should end badly 70-80% of the time. ;) [edit] here's another - pick your favorite Ultraviolet Host or Metaplane, and base a story going through it. Bonus points in somehow starting in one and ending in the other (UV Host -> Metaplane, or reverse) with no transition in between. |
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Feb 13 2006, 02:28 PM
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#11
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Running, running, running Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 2,220 Joined: 18-October 04 From: North Carolina Member No.: 6,769 |
I'm not so fond of the drop bear idea, i just dont think i could do it justice :D, but maybe doc mortand's first idea, maybe... i think i'd do better at writing something smaller in scope, though, personally.
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Feb 13 2006, 02:48 PM
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#12
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Target Group: Members Posts: 70 Joined: 20-January 06 Member No.: 8,185 |
Riggers. The ultimate challenge in developing metaphors.
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Feb 13 2006, 07:26 PM
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#13
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Shadowrun Setting Nerd Group: Banned Posts: 3,632 Joined: 28-June 05 From: Pissing on pedestrians from my electronic ivory tower. Member No.: 7,473 |
There shouldn't be metaphors. The system Szeto describes is so inefficient, counterintuitive, and user-specific that the only word even close to describing it is ridonculous.
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Feb 13 2006, 08:38 PM
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#14
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Manus Celer Dei Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 17,006 Joined: 30-December 02 From: Boston Member No.: 3,802 |
Why did you make me read that? I want an explanation, and none of this funny-talk about having done nothing of the kind. ~J |
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Feb 13 2006, 09:08 PM
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#15
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Free Spirit Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 3,944 Joined: 26-February 02 From: Bloomington, IN UCAS Member No.: 1,920 |
Are you talking adventure modules or the half dozen SR Missions? At first, I thought you meant a published adventure, and though I would also like to read a story about them, it would need to be novel length to do it justice. Maybe one of the shorter sections of Harlequin would work...
Something like this would be a good entry in the general contests that apparently no one wants.
I see these as turning out like a third person re-telling of how events unfolded. Or mostly inside the fixer's head, telling about potential problems and devising ways to circumvent them, all ahead of time, all in the thought process.
I have a spike baby character that kind of fits this. He was born aboard a ship passing through the Bermuda Triangle in 1850 on the way to the California gold rush. (It was nice having him coming of age in the golden age of the West, also accounted for his pistol and gambling skills.) As a starting PC in the 2050s, I needed him to be relatively poor and unwise. I had fun coming up with all the times and ways that he had lost accumulated fortunes during his life. Heavily invested in San Francisco real estate got wiped out during the great quake and fire. Another fortune got wiped out in the original crash of '29. Lost his casinos and hotels when the commies took over Cuba. Lost his Vegas casinos and real estate plus what little he tried to diversify with factories in Mexico and some real estate outside Seattle in a town called Puyallup due to the NAN takeover. The next crash didn't do him any favors either. The most recent setback was losing his Chicago holdings to the bugs. With little more than the clothes on his back, he decides to see what is what with his Puyallup property and heads to Seattle. The Life and Times of Ezekial Brown, if anyone wants to use it. No Drop Bears, there is plenty to read about them elsewhere. If you really feel the need, wait and enter it in a general contest. |
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Feb 13 2006, 09:12 PM
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#16
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Shadowrun Setting Nerd Group: Banned Posts: 3,632 Joined: 28-June 05 From: Pissing on pedestrians from my electronic ivory tower. Member No.: 7,473 |
Because if I am going to suffer, then by God I'm not going to suffer alone.
I'm seeing this more along the lines of a spy story running agents and ... so on. Kind of like a story about Mr. Johnson. |
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Feb 13 2006, 09:28 PM
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#17
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Running, running, running Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 2,220 Joined: 18-October 04 From: North Carolina Member No.: 6,769 |
I actually just thoguht up the idea, i don't mind the "general" category, maybe the broader theme would be "What i would do to get into X group" |
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Feb 13 2006, 11:06 PM
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#18
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Manus Celer Dei Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 17,006 Joined: 30-December 02 From: Boston Member No.: 3,802 |
Speaking only from my perspective, but I see the problem being that the general contests have a much higher failure rate than themed contests. I personally intended the whole way through to write something, and still hadn't come up with exactly what that "something" would be by the time I heard the nice whooshing sound. With the themed contests, half the work is done before we even start thinking about it. ~J |
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Feb 13 2006, 11:33 PM
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#19
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 164 Joined: 7-July 03 Member No.: 4,891 |
I want to see Spider Robinson take on this problem (not that it'll ever happen, but a man can dream). There's a man with a dab hand at metaphor. And before you tell me that he can't write gritty, find yourself a copy of Telempath. Maybe he can't sustain it... And I agree with Kagetenshi WRT the value of themes. |
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Feb 13 2006, 11:40 PM
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#20
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Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,088 Joined: 8-October 04 From: Dallas, TX Member No.: 6,734 |
Has the whole "Death of a Johnson" theme been done yet?
I.E. tell the story of a run gone wrong from the Johnson's point of view - whether he was the reason why, or the dupe...and how he got killed/maimed/fitted with cement shoes. :) By the way, it's Mortand with no L. Not Mortland. :P |
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Feb 13 2006, 11:46 PM
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#21
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Running, running, running Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 2,220 Joined: 18-October 04 From: North Carolina Member No.: 6,769 |
l, what l? docmortand-----> :smokin: Go go drop bear legions of editing! |
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Feb 14 2006, 12:15 AM
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#22
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Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,088 Joined: 8-October 04 From: Dallas, TX Member No.: 6,734 |
That's better. *pats aku on the head*
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Feb 14 2006, 12:25 AM
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#23
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Free Spirit Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 3,944 Joined: 26-February 02 From: Bloomington, IN UCAS Member No.: 1,920 |
I would be afraid that with this for a topic, there would be a variety of stories that had little to do with Shadowrun. I mean the point of a metaplane or UV host is that it differs from the reality of Shadowrun.
Is this getting worked in with the from a fixer's POV? Really, as long as there is entries and submissions, we can eventually do all the topics. I have at least 20 books to give away, probably more like 50, and if I go through all of them, I'll buy some more. So feel free to keep adding topics. Can we start to settle on the next topic? Also, since there is a topic and general contest, what about running them concurrently? Or overlapping deadlines, so there is always something to work on and something that just ended that can be enjoyed by all? Which brings up suggestions for a deadline for the topic contest and maybe a deadline for the general contest. |
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Feb 14 2006, 01:30 AM
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#24
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Running, running, running Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 2,220 Joined: 18-October 04 From: North Carolina Member No.: 6,769 |
ya know, i've heard a couple of time, that more or less loosely translated, "aku" means "evil" in japanesse. I'm not so sure it's a good idea to pat evil on the head :evil: |
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Feb 14 2006, 01:43 AM
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#25
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Manus Celer Dei Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 17,006 Joined: 30-December 02 From: Boston Member No.: 3,802 |
Bad idea IMO. The whole cycle of tension and release is more conducive to work without having to deliberately skip contests. I think starting a contest about a week after the previous one ends is probably a good idea, though. ~J |
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